Refillable electric fuse



' R. E. MIDDAGH ET AL REFILLABLE ELECTRIC FUSE Filed' June 11 1920 z Y 141g ya Mhz,

l. (111111111, ,Il Il Patented Nev. 13, 1923.

UNITED slr-Ares PATENTA oF FICE'. vf

ROBERT E. MIDDAGH `AND CARL L. ANDERSON, OF MOG-ILL, NEVADA..

BEFILLABLE ELECTRIC FUSE.

Application led .Tune 11,

To all wiz-0m. it may concern: v

Be it known that we, ROBERT E. MIDDAGH at McGill, in the county of White Pine and State of Nevada,4

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RefillablevElectric Fuses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to refillable electric fuses, and more particularly to means for holding the fuse strip in the body portion of the fuse in such manner that ready access may be obtained thereto for the pur pose of renewing thefuse when it burns out.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a fuse of the character referred to which will be very rigid when assembled, may be disassembled for refilling readily and quickly, and wherein there is no chance for the molten parts of the fuse to lodge and block the operation of the fuse and there are no small parts, such as screws, nuts or washers to retard the ready manipulation of the fuse head.

The invention has further for its objects to provide a fuse of this character which will be simple and cheap of construction,and in which the contact will be maintained efliciently during the operation of the fuse.

Other objects and advantages'of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred construction, in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustratingr the same.

n the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the fuse;

Figure 2 is a similar section of the" fuse taken at right angles to the plane of section of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 Figure .6, looking toward the left, and showing also the key member 18, which is'located to the right of said section line;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4--4 of Figure 6;

n o l Figure 5- s a r1 ht hand end view of the fuse with the cap in position;

Figure 6 is a detail view, in side eleva- Y tion, of the ri ht' handend of the fuse as vof the left hand end of the fuse;l

illustrated in igures 1` and 2;`

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6,

1920. Serial No. 388,281.

Figure s isa left hand end view of the fuse with the cap in position;

herein a fuse of the knifeiblade type, the" i invention, as to most of its Iparts, is equally applicable to a fuse of the ferrule type.

A disk 12, best 'hown in Figures 9 4and,

10, having integral or rigid therewith a circular projection or inner disk 12a receives' the -forked ends of the terminal blade 5 at the left hand end of the fuse, and a smaller disk 12b is rigid with the reverse side of the disk 12, and is embraced by the forked portionsof the blade Where it passes through the disks 12, 12, as shown in Figure 9. The opposite, or right hand end of the fuse, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, is slightly differently constructed as to the *means for. connecting that end of the fuse link with the casing member i. At such end, the blade 5 passes through a disk 17 which is circumferentiallytoi a size to neatly fit within the bore oi' the thimble 3 at that end of the fuse body. Rigidly secured upon `the outerside of the disk 17 1s an elongated key member 18, upon which is a smaller disk- 20, the parts 17, 18 and 20 receiving the forked terminals of the bladev 5 and being rigid therewith.

. The body of the fuse .comprises a tube of nonconducting material 1 to each vend of which is secured a thimble 3 composed of annular portions 6, 8, which are spaced apart to provide an intermediate annular 'i groove 10. The annular portion 8, as best shown in Figure 3, is' preferably provided at diametrically opposlte points -with recesses 7 7, and also with oppositel' arranged smaller recesses, 11, 11, the atter secured by rivets or otherwise suitably in a rigid manner to the body portion 1 of the fuse, and these thimbles are constructed precisely alike at each end, so as to be interchangeable in their relation to the connecting means for detachably securin the fusible link in position. As shown in igure 11, a disk 21, provided with a central elon ated aperture 24, two diametically arrange inwardly projecting lugs 22, 22, and two simiarl arranged recesses 23, 23, serves as a locking device for use in detachably connectin the link at its right hand end to the thimb e 3 at that end of the body of the fuse. The fuse ends are covered b caps 15 which have inwardly projecting, iametrically arranged lugs 16, 16, for entering recesses 7,'7, and 23, 23, in the thinibles and disk 21, for locking the parts of the 'fuse together. Each ofthe end caps'is provided withan opening 24 at the center por tion of its closed end of the shape best 'shown in Figures 5 and 8. Said opening comprises two curved portions 28, 28, concentric with and slightly larger than the disks 20, and other curved portions 30, 30,

arranged 90 from the first named curved portions and providin clearance to permit rotation of the legs o the blade 5 through the locking operation. The spaces between the peripheries of the disks provided by the cut-out curving portions terminate in diametrically disposed openings 25, 25, which are adapted to receive either of the blades 5 in assembling the cap upon. the end of the fuse.

" To assemble the various parts of the fuse the link with the elements heretofore described as being rigidly secured thereto is inserted in the casinY vfrom the left hand end, as viewed in igure 1, the disk 17 .passing freely through the body and cag portions'luntil the disk 12 has become seate .upon the left hand end of the ferrule 3, the

lu 14 entering the recesses 11. It will be no ed thatthe recesses 13 in the disk 12 will register with the recesses 7 at the outer end of the thimble 3. The disk 21 is then slipped over the right hand end of the device, the blade 5 passing through the slot 24', and the lugs 22, 22, of the disk enterin the recesses 11, 11, at the right hand en of the fuse, the opening 24 also fitting snugly about the elongatedy projection 18 thereat. The engagement of the 'lugs 22 o f the disk 21 with the openings 11 at the right hand end, and the similarengagement between the luga 14 andthe recesses 11 at"y `the left hand end', effectively lock the fuse link and the blades carried thereby yagainst rotation relatively tothe body of the fuse. The end caps 15,re then placed over the `blades at each end of the fuse.' the blades passing through the openin 25 iii the ca until' the latter is seated rly against thl disks 12 and 21. The cap is then rotated. in a direction to move the curved portions 30 about the legs of the blades until such legs abut a ainst shoulders at the terminatioii's f t e spaces between said curved portions and the beginning of the curves 28, 28, which are closel adjacent to the surface of the disk 20. T e cap is thus firmly locked in position on the end of the fuse, but may be easily removed by rotatin it in a direction reversely to that descri When each cap is rotated in a direction to lock it to the end of the fuse the lugs 16, 16, pass out of registration with the slots 7, 13, and are positioned back of the flange or ring 8, whereby the cap is preaving described the invention what isl claimed is:

1. A refillable cartridge fuse having, in combination, a body portion, thimbles se cured to the ends of the body and constructed for interlocking engagement with end caps, a fusible strip having at one end a terminal carrying a disk arranged tot within the body and thimbles, having at its op posite end a disk of a size too large to enter the body with interlocking means to coopcrate with the thiinble in reventin relative rotation of the bod an fusible link, and end caps for the bo y having means for cooperating with the thimbles to lock said caps in position.

2. A-refillable cartridge fuse comprin, in combination, a hollow insulatin y portion having thimbes secured at t e ends thereof, a-fusible strip connected to fuse ter'- ininals, one of said terminals carrying a disk of a size to enter the body of the fuse and pass from end to end thereof and the other terminal having a disk of a size larger than the bore of said body, interlocking means between the last named disk and one of said thimbles to prevent relative rotation of the strip and body, and end caps provided with means for interlocking `en agement with the thimbles at the ends of t e fuse, said caps being constructed and arranged for rotation to lock the ca s to the thimbles.

3. In a relllable cartridge fuse, the combination with a hollow insulatin body portion having at each end a thimb e provided with two pairs of diametrically arranged llO terence end a terminal carrying a`disk of a size to enter and pass freely rom end to end of said tube and thimbles, said disk havinga.

projection, Ysaid strip -at the opposite end having a terminal carrying a disk of a size too large to pass within said body, and havends provided with curved ing dialnetrical lugs to cooperate with two recesses in the end of a thlmble, a detachable locking disk for use at the opposite end of said body. and constructed with a central slot, diametrically arranged edge recesses, and diametrically arranged`inwardl projecting lugs, said disk being arran to fit over said projection on the small `disk at the end of the fuse with the lugs of said disk interlockingly engaging two of the recesses in the 'thimble and the center slot engaging a projection at said end of the fuse to lock the same to the thimble, and` end caps arranged to interlock with portions of said thimbles and to retain the link and connected parts within the body of thefuse.

4. In a retillable cartridge fuse, the combination with a hollow insulating body portion having at its ends thimbles each provided with'diametrically arranged recesses located approximately 90 apart, a fusible strip having a terminal at one end car ing a disk of a. size to freely enter and pass rom end to end of said body and having an elongated projection on its outer face, a disk of larger size carried by a terminal at the opposite end of said strip, said disk havin inwardly projecting lugs to enter and ookingly engage with corresponding recesses in the thimble at that end of the fuse, alocking disk having a central opening to engage the elongated projection at the first-named end of the strip,'and having also inwardly projecting lugs to lockingly engage recesses in the thimble, and also recesses to aline with other recesses in said thimble,and caps for the opposite ends of the fuse body provided with internal lugs to enter the recesses and interlockingly engage with the end thimbles upon rotation, and having openings at their portions to cooperate with a terminal blade and elongated openings to permit said caps to be placed over the blades prior to their rotation in locking the ca s to the fuse.

5. In a refil able cartridge fuse, the combination with a hollow insulating, body por` tion having at its ends thimbles provided with circumferential grooves, and pairs of diametrically arranged recesses communieating with said grooves,` a fusible str1 having at one end a terminal carrying a isk of a size to freely enter said body portion and at its opposite end a terminal carrying a disk of larger size, the latter having lugs for locking engagement with two recesses in a thimble, blades Aprojecting beyond said disks, a locking disk having lugs for engagement with the recesses of the thimble at the end of the fuse which is occupied by the disk first mentioned, and end caps having means for locking engagement with the cir cnmt'erential grooves of the thimblcs, and

rovided with openings in their ends formed y two pairs of curves of different radii to )rovide curved clearance passages for the blades vwhen the caps are rotated, and elongated openings communicating with. said passagesto permit the caps to be slipped over the ends of said blades. V

6.l A refillable cartridge fuse comprising, in combination, a hollow insulating body portion havin thimbles secured at the ends thereof, a fusi le strip connected to fuse ter` minals, one of said terminals carrying a disk of a size to enter the body of the fuse and pass from end to 'end thereof and the other terminal having a disk of a size larger than the bore of said body, interlocking means between the'last-named disk and one of said thimbles to prevent relative rotation of the strip and body, and end caps provided with means for rotative engagement with said thimbles to retain said disks againstlongitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto Set our hands this 2nd dayl of June A. Dl 1920.

C. 0. Fantasma. 

